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Monstrous Christmas Cauliflower Cheese [Video]

"I think I have finally gone too far with this OTT cauli cheese. It’s got cheddar, it’s got camembert, it’s got cauliflower, what more can you want? This definitely is not a recipe for the faint-hearted, so get ready for this beautiful bad boy.
My favourite part about this recipe is the face people make when you set it down in front of them. Pure amazement, with a little bit of awe and a slight hint of fear thrown in. It’s truly a mammoth side, but that makes it perfect as a Christmas side. We’re all about decadence, so why not apply to your festive sides?"
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Poppy O'Toole - Poppy Cooks

Ingredients

For the Roasted Cauliflower:

  • 1 large head fresh cauliflower (with tender inner leaves attached)
  • 3½ Tbsp (50g) salted butter softened
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

For the Cheese Sauce (Mornay):

  • 3½ Tbsp (50g) salted butter
  • ⅓ cup (50g) plain flour
  • 3 cups (750ml) whole milk
  • 1 cup (100g) sharp mature Cheddar cheese grated
  • ½ cup (50g) Comté or Double Gloucester cheese grated
  • 1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp Marmite (optional, for savory depth)
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg

For the Camembert Crown:

  • 1 whole wheel Camembert cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 - 4 small sprigs fresh rosemary

Instructions

Prep and Roast the Cauliflower

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) / Gas Mark 4.
  • Trim the cauliflower head, carefully cutting off the large outer greens but retaining the tender, smaller inner leaves. Set the leaves aside for later. Keep the cauliflower head completely whole.
  • Mix the compound butter by combining the 50g of softened butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
  • Slather the cauliflower head entirely with the herby garlic butter. Place it inside a large, deep baking tray or a Dutch oven pot.
  • Cover tightly with a lid or a layer of foil to trap the steam. Or you could invert a pot over it to protect the cauliflower and topping from getting burned.
    Roast for 1 hour until a knife slides easily all the way through the center.

Make the Cheese Sauce

  • Melt the 50g of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it foam, bubble, and lightly brown into a beurre noisette (nutty brown butter) for extra flavor.
  • Add the plain flour to the melted butter. Stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until it forms a thick, doughy paste (a roux) that cleanly pulls away from the sides of the pan.
  • Stir in the pinch of nutmeg and a tiny bit of garlic paste.
  • Slowly whisk in the milk a little splash at a time. Whisk continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Once all the milk is incorporated, let the sauce simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes until silky and thick.
  • Add the cheeses and flavorings by removing the pan from the heat and stirring in the grated cheddar, Comté/Double Gloucester, wholegrain mustard, and optional Marmite until completely melted and smooth. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble and Bake

  • Line the bottom of an ovenproof serving dish with the raw, tender cauliflower leaves you saved earlier.
  • Nestle the whole roasted cauliflower head directly on top of the bed of leaves.
  • Smother it in sauce by pouring the entire batch of rich cheese Mornay over the top of the cauliflower, completely blanketing it.
  • Bake uncovered at 180°C (350°F) for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese sauce turns bubbly and takes on a light golden color.

The Camembert Finish

  • Prep the Camembert while the dish is baking. Slice off the top 1/3 layer of the rind from your Camembert wheel to expose the chalky paste inside.
  • Score a cross-hatch pattern into the exposed surface using a sharp knife. Stud the slits with your thin garlic slices and small sprigs of fresh rosemary.
  • Crown the cauliflower by carefully pulling the baking dish out of the oven and placing the studded Camembert wheel flat on top of the whole cauliflower head.
  • Return to the oven for a final 15 minutes. Bake until the Camembert is entirely melted, dripping down the sides, and fiercely oozy. Serve immediately while roaring hot!